Combined towel rack and book hold



Nov. 24, 1942. J sENTE-R 2,302,806

COMBINED TOWEL RACK AND BOOK HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR BATHTUBS Filed Dec. 16, 1941 WWI Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED TOWEL BACK AND BOOK HOLD- ING ATTACHMENT FOR BATHTUBS 7 Claims.

This invention relates to bath tubs and more particularly to a combined towel rack and book support for attachment thereto.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of this character capable of being readily positioned on a bath tub and which serves the dual function of a rack for towels and the like and as a rest for supporting a book or magazine in convenient position to permit reading thereof while bathing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined towel rack and book support normally disposed parallel with one side of a bath tub for supporting towels and adapted to be swung laterally across the bath tub for engagement with the other side of said tub for supporting a book in convenient position for reading purposes.

A further object is to provide a combined device of the character described including an angular frame adapted to receive a book and provided with an upstanding back rest coacting therewith to support the book at the proper inclination when the bather is reading, there being a resilient page holder mounted on the frame for holding the book open as the leaves thereof are turned.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined towel rack and book support embodying the present invention showing the device in position on a bath tub and in dotted lines a towel supported on the rack,

Figure 2 is a top plan View showing in full lines the position of the device when used as a rack for supporting towels and in dotted lines the device swung laterally across the bath tub and used as a book holder.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the device detached.

The combined towel rack and book support or rest forming the subject-matter of the present invention comprises main and auxiliary supporting members 5 and 6, the main sup-porting member 5 including a horizontal rod I having inwardfor detachable engagement with one side of a. bath tub, indicated at 9.

The auxiliary supporting member 6 is provided with a single suction cup I having a tubular extension 1 associated therewith and provided with a vertical opening l2 adapted to receive the depending portion i3 of a rod section M. The inner end of the rod section I4 is telescopically fitted within a tubular member I5 so as to permit longitudinal adjustment of the parts, there being a set screw l6 carried by the tubular member l5 for locking said parts in adjusted position. The outer end of the tubular member I5 is provided with a depending extension I! which is mounted for turning movement in a vertical bearing sleeve 18 secured to the rod 1 of the main supporting member so as to permit the device to be swung transversely of the bath tub with the sleeve as a pivot, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Rigidly secured to the tubular member in any suitable manner is an angular frame 18 adapted to receive and support a book, magazine, or other reading matter, said tubular member l5 being provided with an upstanding back rest 20 of any suitable construction and which coacts with the forward angular ledge 2| of the frame I9 for supporting a book 22 in proper position for reading purposes. The ledge carrying part of the frame i9 is preferably wider than the height of the rear portion thereof and secured to said ledge 2| in any suitable manner is a substantially U-shaped resilient page holder 23 adapted to yieldably engage the leaves of the book 22 as said leaves are successively turned and thus hold the book in a fiat open position to facilitate reading.

The central portion of the U-shaped page holder 23 is provided with a finger piece or knob 24 so that by pressing outwardly on said knob the page holder may be readily disengaged from the book to permit turning of the leaves thereof, said page holder, owing to its resilient properties, automatically returning to normal position in engagement with the book as soon as pressure on the finger knob 24 is removed. If desired, an ash tray 25 may be detachably mounted on the tubular member l5 so that, if the bather desires to smoke while taking an ablution, the ashes from his or her cigar or cigarette may be conveniently deposited therein without the necessity of leaving the bath tub.

In operation the vacuum or suction cups 8 and ID are pressed against one side of the wall of the ly bent portions provided with suction cups 8 bath tub 9 and in which position the device will be supported in parallel relation to said side so that the back rest 23 may be used for conveniently supporting one or more towels, indicated in dotted lines at 26. When it is desired to peruse a book, magazine or other reading matter while bathing, it is merely necessary to detach the suction cup Ill of the auxiliary supporting member and swing the entire device laterally across the bath tub with the sleeve 18 as a pivot and then press the suction cup I!) against the opposite side of the bath tub so as to hold the device in reading position, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. ihe book, either before or aft r the device is swung laterally on its pivot, may be positioned on the frame Iii with the lower edge of the book engaging the supporting ledge 2i and with the upper edge thereof resting against the rack 20, as shown in Figure 3. W1 1 the book resting on the frame l9 and back it; in the manner described, said book will be supported directly in front of the bather so that he or she can read said book while taking an ablution. By pressing outwardly on the resilient holder 23 the leaves of the book can be conveniently turned from time to time and the book held in the desired open position by the spring action exerted by the holder on the leaves of the book, as will be readily understood,

After the bother has completed his or her bath, the device may be moved to inoperative position by detaching the vacuum cup I!) from the adjacent wall of the bath tub 5 and swinging the entire device laterally on its pivot 18 to the full line position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing,

and in which position it will be held by again pressing the vacuum cup Iii against the adjacent side of the bath tub. When it is not desired to use the attachment, the device can be readily detached from the side of the bath tub by exerting a slight outward pull on the vacuum cups 8 and ill and said device placed in a cupboard or other convenient place until it is again desired to use the same.

The device is extremely simple in construction and thoroughly efficient in operation and can be made and marketed at a relatively small cost.

It will, of course, be understood that the devices may be made in different sizes and shapes and constructed of any suitable material without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bath tub, horizontally spaced supporting members detachably engaging the inner face of the tub at one side thereof, and an article supporting member piv otally mounted on one of said supporting members and normally disposed in substantially parallel relation to one side of the tub and movable on its pivot to operative position transversely of the tub, the other supporting member by engagement with the inner face of another side of the tub serving to hold said article supporting member in operative position.

2. In combination with a bath tub, horizontally spaced supporting members detachably mounted on one side of the tub, a combined book supporting member and towel rack having one end thereof pivotally mounted on one of the supporting members and its other end connected with the other supporting member, said book supporting member and towel rack being normally disposed parallel with one side of the tub and movable to operative position transversely of the bath tub, one of said supporting members iii iii)

by engagement with another side of the bath tub serving to hold said book and rack supporting member in operative position.

3. In combination with a bath tub, horizontally spaced relatively stationary and movable supporting members having vacuum cups for detachable engagement With one side of the tub, one of said supporting members being provided with a vertical bearing sleeve and the other with a perforated tubular extension, telescopic members, one of which is detachably mounted in said sleeve and the other extended through the perforation in the tubular extension, a combined book support and towel rack mounted on the telescopic members, said book supporting member and towel rack being normally supported in inoperative position parallel with one side of the tub and movable to operative position transversely of the tub with the bearing sleeve as a pivot and with the vacuum cup of the movable member engaging said tub.

4. In combination with a bath tub, horizontally spaced relatively stationary and movable supporting brackets including vacuum cups adapted to detachably engage one side of the bath tub, one of said brackets being provided with a vertical sleeve and the other with a portion having a perforation therein, telescopic rods extending be tween said supporting brackets, one end of one of the rods fitting within the sleeve for pivotal movement and one end of the other rod projecting through said perforation, a book supporting frame mounted on said telescopic rods and provided with an upstanding rack against which the back of a book is adapted to be supported, and a page holder mounted on said book supporting frame, the telescopic rods and movable bracket being normally disposed in inoperative position at one side of the tub and movable to operative position transversely of the tub with said sleeve as a pivot and with the vacuum cup of the movable bracket engaging said tub.

5. In combination with a bath tub, horizontally pa S pporting members mounted on one side of the tub, one of said supporting members being relatively stationary and provided with an upstanding sleeve constituting a pivot andthe other supporting member being readily removable from the tub, a combined book support and towel lack having depending portions, one of which extends through the sleeve of one of the brackets and the other through an opening in the other supporting bracket, said combined book support and towel rack being movable to operative position transversely of the tub With the sleeve as a pivot when the removable supporting bracket is detached, said removable supporting bracket by engagement with the other side of the tub serving to hold the combined book support and towel rack in operative position.

6. A combined book support and towel rack comprising supporting members, one of which is provided with horizontally spaced vacuum cups and a central upstanding sleeve and the other with a single vacuum cup and a tubular extension having an opening therethrough, telescopic rods provided with depending portions, one of which is fitted in the sleeve and the other extended through the perforation in the tubular member, an angular frame secured to said rods, an upstanding rack arranged at the rear of the frame, and a page engaging device mounted on said frame.

'7. A combined book support and towel rack for bath tubs comprising horizontally spaced supporting members provided with vacuum cups for detachable engagement with one wall of the tub, horizontally disposed telescopic rods provided with depending portions, one of which is pivotal- 1y connected with one of the supporting members and the other slidably fitted in the other member, an angular frame secured to said rods and provided at its front and with an upstanding book supporting ledge and at its rear end with a vertical extension, a vertical rack secured to the rods at the rear of the vertical extension and constituting a combined towel rack and rest for the back of a hook, and a substantially U-shaped resilient member mounted on the angular frame for engagement with the leaves of said book, said resilient member being provided with a finger engaging knob.

JESSIE B. SENTER. 

